September 28, 2002 Ravenna, MI A 3-month-old child was attacked in her crib by her family’s “pet” raccoon. The child suffered serious injuries sufficient to need major facial reconstructive surgery. Other
September 28, 2002 Know County, TN A Burmese python was on the loose in the Carter community. The snake escaped after a haystack fell on the snake’s enclosure, releasing the latch. Reptiles
September 26, 2002 Bloomington, IL Tigger, a Bengal tiger, was shot and killed after escaping from a trailer at the Travelcenters of America truck stop. Tigger’s possessor was attempting to give him water when he escaped. Big Cats
September 24, 2002 Gainesville, FL The director of the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens was working in one of the park’s water lily gardens when an 11-ft alligator, MoJo, bit off his right arm just below the elbow. MoJo was harpooned, shot, and his stomach slit open to retrieve the arm, but surgeons were unable to reattach the arm. The man was listed in fair condition. Reptiles
September 24, 2002 Alexandria, AL A “pet” black-cap monkey, Skipper, was missing from his home. The monkey escaped while his possessor was in the hospital. Primates
September 20, 2002 Quitman, AR Four lions were shot and killed after they were found roaming near a town. It was suspected that the lions belonged to the operator of an exotic farm. However, the operator denied the allegations and maintained that someone dumped the animals. Big Cats
September 12, 2002 Scotts Valley, CA Sima, a 150-lb tiger, lunged and grabbed a 6-year-old boy’s head in her jaws. Zoo to You brought the 1-year-old, declawed tiger in connection with a children’s awards ceremony for selling magazine subscriptions. The boy needed 55 stitches to close his wounds. Big Cats
September 8, 2002 Cincinnati, OH A python escaped its cage and killed and ate a dog. The snake was confiscated and taken to a rescue facility. Reptiles
September 5, 2002 Escondido, CA A 200-pound west Caucasian tur, a rare and endangered goat, gored a zookeeper at San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, while the woman cleaned the tur’s pen. The puncture wound under her ribs required surgery. Other
September 3, 2002 Washington, DC Keltie, a 23-year-old grey seal who had suffered from decades of chronic health problems, died of unknown causes. Her health issues included a fungal skin infection that left her with white spots on her nose and above her eyes, and also affected her flipper, making it bleed for months. She had also lost many teeth. Marine